Medical examiner&#39;s rubber glove and finger cot



April 12-, 1932. D. w B. KURTZ, JR 1,354,047

MEDICAL EXAMINERS RUBBER GLOVE AND FINGER COT Filed April 2, 1928 gwuenlox 'Darzz'eZ 1MB Kari Jr;

Patented Apr. 12, 1932 1 1,854,047

QMMw- H DANIEL W. B. KURTZ JR., OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE MEDICAL EXAMINERS RUBBER GLOVE AND FINGER COT Application filed April 2, 1928. Serial No. 266,720.

One of the most frequently used devices by I have discovered that it is possible and surgeons, obstetricians and other medical practical to permit this direct contact of findiagnosticians is the thin, soft rubber glove ger tip and exploredsurface by constructing or the finger cot. But the finger stall of the the glove-finger or finger cot with an open- 5 diagnosing, or exploring finger of all. of ing at its outer end, or tip end. The open- 5,5 these now in use forms a sack, or. covering, ing is to be just large enough to expose and which completely encases and covers that leave bare the tipend and the ball of the finger, including the tip end, or outer finger end when the glove-finger or finger end of the finger. It is this outer or tip cot is in position upon the exploring finger 19 end of the exploring, or diagnosing finger ready for making the medical examination. 100 upon which the diagnostician must rely for I have also discovered that the entire remainhis information when exploring with that ing portion of the finger, including the enfinger the inner surfaces of the cavities of tire finger nail can be kept completely covthe human body, and his success in making ered and inclosed within the glove-finger or 15 the exploration depends entirely upon the finger cot and that no part of these may befull use of the sensitiveness of touch in the come exposed during theexploration, by conball and the tip end of that finger. Therestructing around and within the said profore, with the use of the surgeons gloves posed openingat the outer end of the finand finger cots now in use, the finger stalls ger cot a border, of thesame material of the 0 of which extend down and completely cover glove or cotsoft rubberand which is to 570 the ball and tip end of the diagnosing be made considerably thicker than are the finger, this sensitiveness of touch in the ball walls of the glove or cot and which thickand tip end of that finger is greatly hinderened border is built in, so to speak, on the ed, obscured and obliterated by that cominside of the walls of the said opening. 'I

plete end-covering of that finger found in designate this thickened border as the thick 75 these gloves and finger cots. It is highly deened annular, or circular border. sirable that the fingers of these gloves and The following is a description of what I cots should be so constructed that the mediconsider the best means of carrying out the cal examiners exploring finger tip will have invention. The accompanying drawings 30 no covering, but will be left bare and fully form a part of this specification.

exposed, that it may come directly in con- Fig.1 illustrates a perspective view of the tact with the surface the finger is examinfinger cot. ing within the cavity that is being explored, Fig. 2 represents a sectional View of the W thus affording the examiner the full benefit finger cot showing the reenforcement around of the sensitiveness of touch which he has the edges of the opening. cultivated at the tip end of his exploring Fig. 3 illustrates a diagrammatic View of nger and upon which sensitiveness of touch the finger cot positioned upon the finger.

he relies. Also, with this feature made avail-- Fig. 4 represents a side elevational View of able in the glove-finger or finger cot, it is the finger cot in position upon the finger and equally important that the intended purpose disclosing the sensitive portion of the finger of the surgeons glove and finger cot, that extending through the opening. is, complete asepsis of the exploring finger, Fig.5 illustrates a diagrammatic view ofa should be maintained during the examinaportion of the finger cot broken away in ortion. der to disclose the particular form of reen- 9r 0 The purpose of my invention is to main- 'forcement around the opening in the finger tain complete asepsis of the diagnosticians cot, and the sensitive portion of; the finger exploring finger and at the same time afi'ord extending there through. 7 him the full benefit of the sensitiveness of Referring to the drawings 0 indicates the touch which he has cultivated in the tip end, cot; a the top or finger nail side of the openor outer end of that finger. ing; a" the opening; I) the bottom orball-of the 7 finger side of the opening; the line ccZ inthe fin er because of the absence of the end dicates where the cot is broken away from a of the nger whereIleave the opening. Once glove or conventional end part of a cot not the molds for producing my improved gloves shown; AN indicates a groove between the and cots are obtained the actual method, edge seal 7) and the body of the cot adapted means, and expense of producing the imto receive the edge of a finger nail n,- ST inproved product will be identical in every pardicates a vertical cross section of a finger poticular with these in the production of the sitioned within the cot; it indicates the front similar articles now in use and on the market. and ball of the finger projecting beyond the I claim as my invention cot; 6 indicates the upper and lower walls of n aseptic finger cot comprising a rubber '65 the cot. section for receiving the finger having a sin- I attach importance to the thickened cirgle downwardly and inwardly extending cular border of the said opening, at the said p g at the Ou er end Of the Cot thrOHgh outer edge of the said opening, because this which the tip of the finger extends, a reinborder, being somewhat thicker than are the f r ment and sealing element around the 80 walls of the finger cot, grips the surface inner face of the periphery of the opening of the finger more firmly than the border provided with a groove extending about the would if it were of the same thickness of the pper part of the opening, between the reinwalls; also, this extra thickness will not perfOlcement m t and the body of the cot,

' Unit a tearing of the borders edges, thus preadapted to receive the forward edge of the 5 serving the cot for a longer period of usenail 0f the g fulnegg d Service, In testimony that I claim this as my in- 1 t ti f my i d finger t vention T have hereto affixed my signature.

or glove finger the walls of same will be of DANIEL KUBTZ JR the same material and same thickness that 99 now obtains in the similar articles now in use. The opening to be left in the outer end of the cot is cut from before backward and from above downward, is therefore elliptical in shape; and the thickened circular 95 border construct-ed just within this opening is approximately one-sixteenth (-3 of an inch in thickness and in its antero-posterior cross-section is circular, and is solid, not tubular. Otherwise the entire structure and 100 construction of my glove-finger or finger cot does not differ from those now in use.

The thickened circular border is held firmly back against the surface of the end of the finger at all points by the tension of the rubber walls of the cot, and it is thus made to firmly grip the finger and in that way it prevents escape of possibly infectious material from the covered parts of the finger and its nail. 11

These improved gloves and cots are, of course, to be produced in various sizes, as similar articles are now produced and to be had on the market; and the medical examiner will therefore be enabled to purchase and use them in proper size for his finger.

The surgeons glove and finger cot with my improvement added thereto can be produced in the same identical manner and by the same method as are those now in use; and the additional cost is comparatively nothing. The only additional cost will be the cost 0 the added mold for forming the thickened circular border, or had rather say, the cost of that part of the mold, which part of the mold is made necessary for adding this thickened circular border to the improved product. The small extra amount'of rubber to form this thickened border is easily taken care. of by the small lesser amount used in 

